1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to analytical devices and, in particular, to analytical test strips and related systems and methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
The determination (e.g., detection and/or concentration measurement) of an analyte (such as glucose) in a bodily fluid sample is of particular interest in the medical field. For example, it can be desirable to determine glucose, cholesterol, acetaminophen and/or HbA1c concentrations in a sample of a bodily fluid such as urine, blood or interstitial fluid. Such determinations can be achieved using analytical test strips based on, for example, photometric or electrochemical techniques, along with an associated meter.
Typical photometric analytical test strips employ a fluid sample application zone (e.g., a sample chamber), a photometric enzymatic reagent that engages in a photometric reaction (for example a color-inducing reaction) with an analyte of interest, and a detector of an associated meter to determine the concentration of the analyte. For example, a photometric analytical test strip for the determination of glucose concentration in a blood sample can employ a * photometric enzymatic reagent that includes the enzyme glucose oxidase and a chromophore (such as 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone hydrocholoride [MBTH] and 3-dimethyaminobenzoic acid [DMAB]). Further details of conventional photometric analytical test strips are included in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,753,452, 6,168,957, 6,555,061, 5,426,032 and 6,821,482, each of which is hereby incorporated in full by reference.